CJ

Yes,That is what most of my paintjobs are done on.There are probally more than one way of doing this but,I start removing hooks and o-rings.Then I take a paded fingernail buffer and just get all of the exsisting clearcoat dulled.Then I tape off the lip and primer the bait.Most all plastic cranks are simple you have to be careful with wooden baits to make sure you don't damage the seal.

I love SM fishing.I would prefer to fish for SM if the bite is on.My favorite time of year is the post spawn.I usually look for rocky main lake points.Isolated rocks are even better.I drag a tube in slow motion this time of year.

Hey guys this is my first foil paintjob.Man,it was a headache.Tell me what you think.Iknow I still gotta few things to work on.

I have used Fishing Hot Spots maps for Table Rock.There okay,but not the best.Here on my home lakes(Kentucky and Barkley) I use an engineered map made by the TVA.They are good.I really didn't take alot of time to try to find a more detailed map of Table Rock.I like a map that the water elevations are marked by color or a pattern.

If you slightly bend the eye, on a line tie,of a flat a deep runner it will run to the side.I do this and cast right next to shallow docks.It will run under the dock and hit the bottom then come up and hit the top.This works great in the fall.

Another thing that is a big help is ice.

Rejuvinade is good stuff.It will make a fish puke up anything he has just eaten,but it really keeps fish in good shape.

Well here is a short summary of what I have gathered.John Hopes studies showed that a bass stays within 400 yards of an area.In other words it has a home.What I gathered from some local guys here in Ky.,the bass that were caught and tagged then released at a tournament sight moved only down stream.John Hopes study also shown that a bass will go back to the exact spot even if released 18 miles away.Then what B.A.S.S showed it all kind of sounds contridicting.

That's interesting.In another post they were talking about the studies John Hope did out in Texas.I also have spoke with some guys from a local bass club who had tagged some fish.Alot of what I have collected has been somewhat contridicting.I believe bass's habits may vary with different bodies of water.

I don't know what comparison a bass's sense of smell to a dog's is,but in an article I read that they did a study on a bass's sense of smell.They took 1-200th of a scent and put it in a 100 gallon tank and the bass could smell it.That's pretty good I guess.

Thanks Whittler!I new there was only a couple of types you liked.Guess I got lucky and ran into some.

I bought some epoxy top coat today.I was wondering if anybody had used this,it is called Envirotex Lite.

I am sure you are going to get alot of spring patterns and techniques on this thread.So I am going to skip spring and fast foward to post-spawn. When the fish are all spawned out and head back to the deep(as they do on my lake)I start looking for ledges and humps that have structure or cover on them(usually anywhere between 10-15 ft. on top and 20 -30ft. on bottom of the drop).I like to fish a jig(custom made/light wire extra sharp hook) in black/blue or green pumpkin with a Paca Crawl by Netbait as a trailer.I use a 7 ft. med/hvy Kistler LTA rod w/Shimano Curado 100B 6:3:1 reel lined with 15lb. P-Line pure flourocarbon. Boat positioning is critical,I always stay in deep water and cast on top of the hump. As for presentation,I start out most everyday slow and on the bottom(not only to get a bite but I feel for structure).I tinker with the presentation alot to try to find the fish .When they are suspended I like to "stroke" a jig.Some of you may have heard of this presentation.I cast on the hump and let my jig hit the bottom.Then I reel down and lift up on my rod to get the bait to hop high off the botttom.How hard I lift may vary.How high I lift may vary.I may only be gently lifting up or jerking up kind of quick.The fish almost always hit it on the fall.Alot of times it may be hard to depict a bite.I have to watch my line closely.I also have to try to keep in time with the bottom,if my line slacks before it is suposed to its a fish.Sometimes bass will jerk your shoulders out of socket.It is also a fine line in how much slack you alow,you want to stay close but you also want the jig to fall straight down.Hope this may be useful to you someday! CJ

Better hope PETA don't see that!

Crawdad Rat-L-Trap,jig,tube,flat sided crank bait(craw color),and a jerkbait.

January and Febuary.I guess it depends on the weather alot.As far as fish location,I hate it when they are suspended and love it when there on bottom.

So you got to meet Dave.He is a good guide here on KY.His C-rig tips are right on as far as I am concerned.Whenever I fish a presentation that is on bottom I always try to keep my rod low and out in front of my shoulders and hips and keep as much slack out of my line as possible.There is however a fine line in slacked line.I like to be a little lose so that the fish don't feel me before I get a chance to set the hook.That's just my opinion anyway.

I second the jig and might add a tube on a slide in head.Sometimes they seem to bite a tube when they won't bite a jig.

Great post and great breakdown of water temps and fish stages.alot of the guys around here think the moon has something to do with spawning.Well to be exact they say the full moon triggers the spawn.I think water temps are the key factor.I mean what if the temps come up early?Are the bass going to wait on the moon?

I would start out like Chris said and fight the wind on the points.Wind can be tough to fish but it can also help.Fish seem to bite better in the wind vs. no wind at all.I would go with a carolina rig with a 3/4 ounce sinker and possibly on a little bit lighter line.This will help keep the bow out of your line.If the fish were suspended I would go to a jerkbait and hope for the best. Good Luck CJ

I've been wanting to get hands on some and see what I could do.I was wondering why,and they may,they don't put a clear lip or blade on it.

How much does Raul get for those pills?

Kid,don't get discouraged by all of the stuff you read.This is an excellent site with nice people who have one thing in common(the love of bass fishing).I fished for over 15 year before I started to excel in techniques and using the right equipment,and I still caught fish.I still don't know everything there is to know and never will know everything.Even the best learn something new every time they fish and that is what makes you good,learning.Be careful what you read and when you run into something that puzzles you thats one of the things the forums are for.This site has helped me alot.If nothing else its good exercise for my brain,but I have learned alot from this forum.and met new friends.By the way welcome to the forums.Read some of the articles on the site and don't be afraid to post a question.Good Luck to you! CJ

WOW! That alot of good input and I didn't take time to read it all.I have only fished Florida once and WOW!!My Dad caught a 7lb.15oz.on Toho.I really can't tell you what will work but I will say this,the mature bass I have caught,came from a slow presentation.Remember most of the time bass are in a negative to neutral feeding mode and their lazy.By the way Avid I take it you only fish artificle baits?I here shiners are good,but I am an artificle man myself.Good Luck

I think the main point that biology can't even prove is that a bass is not a bass wherever you go.There are many things that determine a bass's habits.But on my lake a mature LM bass rarely schools.